30 GUIDE TO INSECTS. 



Wall- built in three or four storeys (177). Examples are exhibited in 



case 9. ^all-case 9 (fig. 30). 



In the underground nests the queens live in specially constructed 

 cells, which are often of considerable size (203, fig. 30). Occasionally 

 two queens are found in the same cell (193). 



Some good examples are exhibited both in the Table-case and in 

 the Wall-case. The queen when once established in this cell never 

 leaves it. She is supplied with food by the workers, and the eggs 

 as soon as laid are carried away to other parts of the nest through 

 small holes in the sides of the cell. 



The duty of the soldiers is to guard the nest, and for this 

 purpose they are provided with very large heads, which are some- 

 times armed with a strong spine or spike. Others have large 

 powerful jaws. 



Some excellent examples of the destruction caused by these 

 insects are shown in the wall-cases. Attention may be specially 

 directed to the remains of a square lintel of a door of one of the 

 Government offices in James Town, St. Helena, in which only the 

 very hard parts remain (175). Another very good example is a piece 

 of a greenhouse from Singapore presented by Mr. H. N. Eidley, 

 showing very deep excavations (1 59, fig. 31). Most of the destruction 

 is carried on secretly, the ants rarely showing themselves, the 

 outside of the object attacked being left intact so that the mischief 

 is not observed. A small insect box brought to this Museum 

 from Trinidad was found to have the lid completely hollow (163). 

 Some live ants were still in it. This is exhibited in the wall- 

 case. 



The wings and remains of Termites have been found in abundance 

 in a fossil state in Mesozoic strata in Europe. 



Table- Immediately after the Termites are some examples of the very 



case 35. peculiar insects of the family Embiidm (1318). These are closely 

 allied to the Termitidm, but have no soldiers or workers. Their 

 metamorphoses are incomplete, the fully adult only differs from the 

 young in size, and in some instances in having wings. Some species 

 never have wings. They are in many respects very primitive 

 insects, having the front and hind wings similar in size, form and 

 neuration ; the last being of a very simple character with few 

 cross nervures. As the mesothorax is very long, the front and 

 hind wings are remarkably far apart. The front and middle legs 

 are wide apart at their bases and are placed at the side of the 

 body as in the Phasmidce ; but the hind legs are closer together. 



